View Full Version : Fast Hike GA Section
I am going to attempt to hike Bly Gap to Amicalola Falls on the 18th of April with a buddy of mine. We are going to shoot for 24 hours or under.
We are finishing up planning the logistics of the trip now and have some questions.
Anyone have reports of how the water is looking in GA this year? We are going to attempt to plan our water stops and didn't know how reliable those spots were up until this point.
Also we are still trying to figure out our drop off point in North Carolina. What is the closest drop off point to Bly Gap that is accessible by a normal car. Our ride has agreed to slack us to Bly so it wouldn't be a big deal to walk a bit before we officially started.
Also thanks to Phreak and several others that helped me get this off the ground a few months ago.
And of course thanks for any input.
UnkaJesse
03-23-2009, 15:36
It's been five years or more since I drove there but Deep Gap should be doable in a car. It's down several miles worth of forest service road.
Deep gap was very drivable last spring. Good road all the way to the trail. Only problem is that it adds 7 miles to your trip.
Cabin Fever
03-23-2009, 15:50
Deep Gap is accessible by car on a USFS road. Should be open now.
Water in GA. is really good right now (just did a 30 mile section last weekend). There is a Forest Service road that will put on the trail a couple miles south of Bly Gap. I am not sure if you want to do that our not. You could run up to Bly and then back through GA.
MoodyBluer
03-23-2009, 17:15
IIRC, FS 72 (or is it 71) gets you just a few miles south of Bly Gap on the AT at Blue Ridge Gap...road is rough but passable by car.
Bly Gap is actually just a bit north of where you cross into NC on the AT if you wanted to technically start at the state line...the line is actually nailed to a tree just before you get to Bly Gap.
bigcranky
03-23-2009, 17:30
The road to Deep Gap was gated and locked when we tried to go there two weeks ago. You might call the Forest Service office and ask if it's been reopened.
We ended up starting at Blue Ridge Gap, which is about 2 miles inside the Georgia line. It's a high-clearance vehicle dirt road to get there. You could start there and go tag the line, then come back down the hill and get your packs.
Water was great at Plumorchard Gap Shelter (creek on side trail to shelter); okay at Deep Gap Sh; the boxed spring at Tray Mountain was in good shape; the creek on the way down from Rocky Mtn to Unicoi Gap was flowing very well; water at Blue Mtn Shelter was dribbling and slow; Rock Spring was in good shape; Neels Gap has great water (duh); Justus Creek was flowing well; great water at Hawk Mountain, and crossing various creeks on the way to Springer. That was a week+ ago, but it rained pretty well last weekend.
Have fun.
Bulldawg
03-23-2009, 18:06
I was at Blue Ridge Gap in December. At that time it was very passable by car. It is rough paved road with maybe 3/4 mile of steep, but passable, dirt/gravel. It is like 3 miles or so to the state line from there. Not as many extra miles to do it that way I think.